Students salute armed forces

LES students to vets: 'We love you'

Colten Benehaley carries the U.S. flag while Cameron Payne carries the state flag during LES' Veterans Day celebration. Alexia Hopkins escorts her father, Timothy Hopkins, into the ceremony as Bill Oden follows.

That’s what the student body of Lugoff Elementary School told a group of veterans during the school’s annual Veterans Day celebration Thursday.

More than two dozen local veterans attended the ceremony, all of whom served in at least one of the five branches of U.S. armed forces.

“Veterans Day is a time each year that we honor our veterans,” LES Principal Melissa Lloyd said during the ceremony. “Because of your bravery, courage and loyalty, we are able to live in the land of the free. We hope you know how much we appreciate you and how much we love you.”

Many veterans, who were parents, grandparents or relatives of the students, served in a variety of military conflicts.

When introducing themselves to the students, some said they served in Vietnam, Korea, Desert Storm and Desert Shield, while others said they served in Iraqi Freedom, the Cold War, Somalia and Afghanistan.

To kick off the ceremony, veterans marched in during a “Veterans Parade” while students cheered, clapped and waved flags.

During the short ceremony, the students sang songs to the veterans, and several students read poems aloud to their guests.

“Thank you, Granddaddy, and all the other veterans,” one student said. “You make me feel safe and free.”